I've been reading Exodus lately and its funny how much I have forgotten since the last time I read it. There are some great stories there and I encourage you to read it the next time you aren't sure what to read.
The bible is amazing to me. The bible, from Geneses to Revelations, was written over a span of over 2000 years and yet the whole thing points to one event; the resurrection of Jesus. Our faith is worthless if Jesus didn't raise Himself from the dead. In the garden, God told the devil that Eve's seed would bruise the devils head (Gen 3:15). He prophesied that Jesus would come to step on the devil and the crucifixion would be no more to Jesus than a bruise on his heel compared to what Jesus would do to the devil. I'll never understand how people doubt the validity and inspiration of the bible when you know how it was written, by whom it was written, and over the long time span.
In Exodus 19 God was speaking to Moses telling him that He would come to Mount Sinai and visit with Moses and the people could watch. But before the people could be in the presence of God, they had to prepare themselves. They had to be consecrated by Moses and then they had to wash their clothes so they would be ceremonially clean. Then in verse 11 God says "and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people".
Obviously, this was symbolic and prophetic regarding the coming of Christ. I believe it was also symbolic toward us today. We know that Jesus came as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and that our sins have been washed in His blood. Nevertheless, the 3rd day is coming. God wants to come to our Mount Sinai but before He does, we must be ready. We need to wash our symbolic clothes and consecrate ourselves. To consecrate means to set aside as sacred, to consecrate yourself means that you have declared that you are God's and God's alone. Not only that, you are presentable to God because you are sacred.
Are you presentable to God as sacred? Are your spiritual clothes clean? God wants to meet you on your Mount Sinai but first, you have to be ready to meet Him. I'm not saying that you have to clean up before you get saved, heavens no! What I am saying is that if you are saved, its time to set yourself aside as a sacred presentation to God. When you do, He is faithful and will present Himself to you.
I encourage you to be a peculiar people (1 Pet 2:9), set apart for God so that you can have a deeper relationship with Him.
I love you and God does too!
Showing posts with label Crucifixion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crucifixion. Show all posts
Monday, April 16, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Crucifixion Outline
I spoke at RIO 180 last night. Here is the outline that I used. I don't have time to fill in the details but this is a very good summary for you to go on to understand what our savior did for us.
1) Jesus was betrayed by Judas
2) He prayed until his sweat became as great drops of blood
3) Abandoned by all of his friends
4) Walked 2.5 miles during a sleepless night
5) He had many people bearing false witness on him yet he did not defend himself
6) He was beaten on the face and mocked at Caiaphas’ house
7) He was beaten by the cat-of-nine tails (according to Roman custom), 39 lashes (Deut 25:3)…Describe what that does
8) He was robed…but when de-robed later, the pain would have been horrific.
9) He was crowned with a crown of thorns
10) He had to carry the top part of his cross
11) The nails were 8 – 10 inches long and they went in his wrists, not hands…explain the tearing
12) One nail was used for his feet
13) When the cross dropped into the ground, his shoulders and elbows would have dislocated (Psalm 22)
14) He was crucified naked (Roman custom), they cast lots for his clothes.
15) His heavenly father turned his back on him...“eloi, eloi, lama sabacthani”…My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? All this because he became our sin. II Cor 5:21
16) His blood began to thicken as water started gathering in his lungs because of the short breathes he was taking. His lungs were working overtime to try to get oxygen from the blood. This is why that blood AND water flowed when his side was punctured. A clear sign of what was happening.
I'm happy to field any questions.
God loves you and I do too!
1) Jesus was betrayed by Judas
2) He prayed until his sweat became as great drops of blood
3) Abandoned by all of his friends
4) Walked 2.5 miles during a sleepless night
5) He had many people bearing false witness on him yet he did not defend himself
6) He was beaten on the face and mocked at Caiaphas’ house
7) He was beaten by the cat-of-nine tails (according to Roman custom), 39 lashes (Deut 25:3)…Describe what that does
8) He was robed…but when de-robed later, the pain would have been horrific.
9) He was crowned with a crown of thorns
10) He had to carry the top part of his cross
11) The nails were 8 – 10 inches long and they went in his wrists, not hands…explain the tearing
12) One nail was used for his feet
13) When the cross dropped into the ground, his shoulders and elbows would have dislocated (Psalm 22)
14) He was crucified naked (Roman custom), they cast lots for his clothes.
15) His heavenly father turned his back on him...“eloi, eloi, lama sabacthani”…My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? All this because he became our sin. II Cor 5:21
16) His blood began to thicken as water started gathering in his lungs because of the short breathes he was taking. His lungs were working overtime to try to get oxygen from the blood. This is why that blood AND water flowed when his side was punctured. A clear sign of what was happening.
I'm happy to field any questions.
God loves you and I do too!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS...Must Read
A good friend forwarded this to me today (Thanks Mark!). I have edited it some and added scripture references. I have preached this message a number of times and it is impossible for me to do it without crying. As I type even now, thinking about how my savior suffered for me, my eyes have filled with tears".
At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death. At the time, Crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals were condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus. Unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion, Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet. Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long. The nails were driven into His wrist, not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breathe. With every breath in, His bear, beaten back had to rub the splintery cross. Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled his feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain so He was forced to alternate between arching His back and then using his legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage. Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours. Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering? But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.
The lungs filter oxygen from blood but because Jesus could not take a normal breath, his blood thickened leaving behind water in his lungs. He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest... all these without mentioning the humiliation He suffered after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where His hands were Nailed), He was crucified naked (as was the Roman custom).. As he became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21), God the Father could not look upon His Son, that's why he cried out "Eloi, Eloi, lama, sabacthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" (Mark 15:34).
Jesus had to endure this experience, to open the gates of Heaven, so that you can have free access to God. So that your sins could be washed away. So that you could be put in right relationship with God.
JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!
God loves you and I do too!
At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death. At the time, Crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst criminals were condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus. Unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion, Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet. Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long. The nails were driven into His wrist, not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist, that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breathe. With every breath in, His bear, beaten back had to rub the splintery cross. Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled his feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain so He was forced to alternate between arching His back and then using his legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage. Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours. Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering? But before the nails and the spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten. The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating so horrific that His face was torn and his beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp. Most men would not have survived this torture.
The lungs filter oxygen from blood but because Jesus could not take a normal breath, his blood thickened leaving behind water in his lungs. He had three nails hammered into His members; a crown of thorns on His head and, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest... all these without mentioning the humiliation He suffered after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part, where His hands were Nailed), He was crucified naked (as was the Roman custom).. As he became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21), God the Father could not look upon His Son, that's why he cried out "Eloi, Eloi, lama, sabacthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" (Mark 15:34).
Jesus had to endure this experience, to open the gates of Heaven, so that you can have free access to God. So that your sins could be washed away. So that you could be put in right relationship with God.
JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!
God loves you and I do too!
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